=SUMPRODUCT(--(ISNUMBER(MATCH(A2:A20,{"apple","kumquat","pear"}, 0))))

--
HTH

Bob Phillips

(replace somewhere in email address with gmail if mailing direct)

"bookgirl" wrote in message
...
I am making a template for a series of spreadsheets. I have a list of
strings
and a series of spreadsheets which contain varying numbers (or none) of
that
list.

E.g. In a series of monthly spreadsheets of crates of fruit bought by a
greengrocer, I want to search for particular types of fruit (apple,
kumquat
etc.) to see if he bought any that month.

I can make a formula (COUNTIF...) display if one of them appears, but
can't
find a way to count how many from my entire list appear (apple OR kumquat
OR
lychee).

Please, can anybody help?